On Thursday 22 July, the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) published a series of recommendations to prevent methane leakage in the energy sector.
In their joint paper, the regulators call for an EU-level “harmonised approach” to monitoring and detecting methane emissions. This would be based on mandatory monitoring of emissions by all gas infrastructure operators (transmission system operators, distribution system operators, liquefied natural gas terminal operators and storage system operators).
ACER and CEER also recommend tracing methane emissions throughout the supply chain, including the possibility of extending methane emission obligations to companies that import (export) fossil energy into (from) the European Union.
However, they believe that a “Methane Supply Index and/or a carbon tax” should only be introduced if a robust emissions monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system for all companies is first put in place to ensure a level playing field between energy producers inside and outside the EU.
In addition, regulators call for: - an examination of the arguments for including biogas/biomethane (also a source of methane leakage) in the European Commission’s proposals; - independent verification of methane emissions data.
As foreseen in the Commission’s methane strategy (see EUROPE 12581/9) presented on 14 October 2020, the institution will present a legislative proposal to make the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of all energy-related methane emissions mandatory (tentatively scheduled for 14 December).
Read the document: https://bit.ly/3hYE1Jc (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)